Critical characteristics of situated learning:
Implications for the instructional design of multimedia

When situated learning was first described as an emerging model of
instruction in 1989, its principal proponents believed that this was
just the beginning--the model would continue to evolve and develop with
new research and theory. This paper will describe the current thinking
on situated learning and the critical characteristics that distinguish
it from other models of instruction. The use of situated learning as an
approach to the design of learning environments has significant
implications for the instructional design of computer-based programs.
Strategies for the application of these characteristics to the
instructional design of interactive multimedia will be explored.
Specific examples will be given to show how these strategies have been
applied in the development of interactive multimedia products at Edith
Cowan University.